Holidays Through the Eyes of Children

A Bridge2Horizon Perspective on Connection, Communication, and Emotional Understanding

At Bridge2Horizon Psychotherapy and Counseling Services PLLC, we see the holiday season as more than a time of celebration. It is an opportunity for parents, teachers, social workers, and mental health professionals to better understand the emotional world of children. The holidays often bring out a profound sense of wonder, and children perceive this time of year with a depth and intensity adults sometimes forget.

Children Experience the Holidays Through Every Sense

Children are remarkably attuned to the sensory landscape of the holiday season. They notice the aroma of familiar foods, the warmth and glow of lights, the colors that fill a home or classroom, the texture of decorations they touch, and the tastes that appear only during this special time. These sensory details are part of what developmental psychology refers to as sub modalities, and children absorb them with immense clarity.

Whatever adults feel during the holidays, children often feel even more. Their excitement, curiosity, and emotional responses are amplified because everything seems new, vibrant, and meaningful. For them, every detail carries a sense of magic.

Traditions Offer Children Security and Emotional Structure

Rituals and traditions serve a vital role in a child’s mental and emotional development. Simple practices such as lighting candles, decorating together, preparing a holiday meal, or sharing a seasonal tale provide consistency and comfort. These moments help children feel grounded and safe.

Whether the traditions come from one’s culture, faith, or personal family history, children internalize them as part of their identity. They often grow up remembering:

“In our family, we always did this.”

This sense of continuity helps children develop resilience, connectedness, and a clearer understanding of where they belong.

The Power of Sharing Your Holiday Memories

The holiday season provides a natural setting for adults to share their own childhood memories. Parents and professionals who work with children can use this time to open conversations about:

• What holidays felt like when they were young

• What customs or rituals mattered most

• What moments made them feel safe, excited, or loved

  
  

These narratives are more than stories. They are emotional bridges. They teach children about empathy, family identity, and generational connection.

Encourage Children to Express Their Own Ideas and Traditions

Children benefit greatly when they are encouraged to speak about what makes the holiday season meaningful to them. Teachers Asking questions such as:

• What part of the holiday do you enjoy the most

• What tradition feels special to you

• What new ritual would you like our family to try

  
  

helps children feel heard and valued. This type of communication strengthens emotional openness and allows children to practice self-expression.

Professionals in schools or clinical settings can use similar questions to encourage emotional sharing in a group or individual session, helping children articulate joy, excitement, and sometimes even holiday related stress.

Holiday Tales Can Support Emotional Development

Sharing holiday tales and narratives is more than entertainment. These stories spark discussions about values, hope, generosity, gratitude, and identity. When adults share personal holiday experiences or read meaningful seasonal tales, they create a safe space for children to ask questions and reflect.

These conversations support:

• Emotional regulation

• Empathy development

• Stronger family and community bonds

• A deeper sense of belonging

  
  

Tales also allow children to better understand the adults in their lives, which enhances trust and communication.

Connecting Beyond the Household

Children are naturally curious about how others celebrate. Inviting them to ask friends, classmates, or neighbors about their holiday customs broadens their understanding of different cultures and traditions. This type of emotional and social learning is essential for developing empathy and respect for diversity.

A Season for Emotional Growth

The holiday season offers families and professionals an ideal moment to pause and observe a child’s emotional world. It is a time to ask:

• What brings you joy this season

• What makes this time of year special for you

• What helps you feel calm or happy during the holidays

  
  

These conversations allow children to feel seen, supported, and understood.

Simple Holiday Rituals That Help Children Feel Connected, Understood, and Inspired

Families can create meaningful traditions that nurture emotional connection, imagination, and a sense of belonging. Here are some gentle rituals parents can incorporate:

• Every holiday season, try one new tradition together as a family. It can be something small, simple, or fun that encourages curiosity and shared discovery.

• Explore a holiday custom from another part of the world. Read about how another culture celebrates, and try one element of that tradition together. This builds empathy, cultural understanding, and open-mindedness.

• Keep one tradition that belongs only to your family, something that feels unique and personal, and consider adding one new meaningful ritual each year.

• Hold a family “show and tell” each holiday season. Invite everyone to share one memory from the past year and one hope or wish for the year ahead. This encourages emotional expression and strengthens communication.

• Cook together as a family for at least one holiday meal, or ideally for all the holidays you celebrate. Preparing food as a group strengthens connection and creates warm sensory memories.

• Do one activity each year that helps others. This could be donating, volunteering, writing cards, or choosing toys to give away. Acts of kindness reinforce empathy and teach children about compassion.

• Create space for children to write their own holiday tale with original characters, imaginary worlds, or magical events. This activity uses their natural sense of wonder and can spark meaningful conversations about what they value, what excites them, and what the season means to them.

• Invite children to share their tales or traditions with grandparents, neighbors, teachers, or friends. This builds confidence, emotional awareness, and social connection.

• Ask children what they would like the family to repeat each year. Their ideas often reveal what makes them feel safest, happiest, and most loved.

Keeping the Emotional Magic Alive

At Bridge2Horizon, we believe the holiday season provides a meaningful opportunity to build stronger emotional connections with the children in our lives. Through traditions, sensory experiences, shared memories, and open communication, children gain a sense of stability, identity, and emotional warmth.

Because the greatest gift we can offer a child is not something wrapped, purchased, or placed under a tree. It is emotional presence. It is connection. It is a tale, a memory, a conversation that helps them feel safe, valued, and loved.